Mumbai, August 30: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday that “the people of the country want a change,” which is why the Opposition leaders are meeting here for a two-day I.N.D.I.A. Conclave starting on Thursday.
Pawar suggested at a joint press conference that the national Opposition parties might talk about the touchy subject of seat-sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The leader of the NCP said that the first two meetings of the I.N.D.I.A. union were very important. Over the next two days, the Opposition group is expected to talk about a plan to fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He said that a group of top leaders could be put together to talk about how the seats for the Lok Sabha elections at the state and local levels will be shared.
When asked about the charges that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made against several national leaders of the Opposition, Pawar told the Centre, “If they have the courage, they should investigate the cases and bring out the facts” instead of just making accusations.
On the expected position of BSP leader Mayawati, who is rumoured to be thinking about joining I.N.D.I.A., Pawar said, “We don’t know yet, because she is also talking to the BJP.”
The 83-year-old leader was speaking to a room full of reporters the day before the two-day I.N.D.I.A. Conclave, which will be held on Thursday and Friday to plan how the national Opposition parties will get rid of the BJP.
So far, 28 Opposition groups from all over India have said they will attend the meeting. This is the first INDIA Conclave to be held in a state that is not controlled by one of the bloc’s members. The first two meetings were held in Bihar and Karnataka.
